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November 2010

November 29, 2010

My last day in Melbourne, I had to choose between going to SunSpun and going on a daytrip to Phillip Island.

I'll admit that all the Collinete I saw around the SnB Melbourne girls made it a tough choice, but when would I ever get the chance to see a penguin in the wild again? My love of nature overcame my love of knitting.

sorry for the blurry picture... the best you can do when you aren't the driver... those dots are sheep.

So, it was a pay tour that stopped many places for various wildlife.

We stopped in Touradin Village and ate really awful sandwiches the tour company brought.

But the scenery was nice.

From there we went to a wildlife refuge that takes in orphaned and injured animals of all sorts.

I adore koalas, but didn't (pay to) pet one since I had the chance to do that in Newcastle last year. I need to get the video of that up here some time. Two years ago I went to the Sydney zoo and spent about two hours staring at koalas, contemplating how to get my favorite - Norman - home.

We could buy little containers to feed the various animals. I was enamored of this little lady because she was off by herself, enjoying the sunshine. She wasn't in the pack of kangaroos vying for the attention and food of visitors.

I approached her slowly in case she didn't want company. Her nails would make you do that.

I spent most of my time at the refuge with her, chatting and feeding her.

There was an albino kangaroo.

And emus.

And wombats. The center also had wallabies, peacocks, rabbits, dingoes, a shetland pony, donkeys and turtles. It was a really neat experience to be so close to the animals.

From the refuge, we headed to Woolami beach. It was quite windy that day but beautiful.

Beeyore loves the ocean, so he and I took a walk in the water and watched the seagulls enjoy the leftovers of a fisherman's labor.

This fun pair of sisters from Kansas were on vacation and they were nice enough to take my picture.

This is one of favorite pictures from the trip. I was surprised and happy when I saw it; on a sunny day it's hard to see how the pictures truly look.

From the beach, we headed out to The Nobbies, a massive nesting ground for silver gulls. I won't lie, I wondered how many people had been pooped on. Beeyore wasn't sure what he thought of it but was interested in making friends.

I took so many pictures, but was particularly enamored of the chicks.

The scenery was pretty stunning as well. Not a bad place to grow up.

On the way back to the van, I spotted two Little Penguin chicks in a burrow. I didn't realize at the time that this was the only penguin picture I'd get. These chicks were maybe 2-3 inches tall.

Then a stop at Cowes, a beach town, for pizza that rivaled the sandwiches. Beeyore and I decided to wash the palate with some blood orange and passionfruit gelato and check out the sunset.

Two more of my favorite shots from the trip.

When we were done, we met up with the group for a very nice tea and biscuits. I think the guy driving brought the stuff along, which may explain why it was the best meal that was provided that day!

Finally it was sufficiently dark enough to head to Penguin Parade. Each evening, thousands of Little Penguins - adults are between nine and 12 inches high - wait until dusk and then come ashore from a day of hunting to feed their chicks and bed down for the night. Flashes cause the penguins to regurgitate their food and lead to the death of chicks and adults. So these were my pictures from penguin parade.

Why yes, that is my cowl... I started to see the value of a small, compressible knit that you don't have to worry about losing. And I really really valued it when the wind was blowing!

I thought this sign was hilarious, though I did get a little sad thinking why it was necessary. If I'd found one, I probably would have scooped him up and brought him home.

It was an amazing experience! They make a chirping type of noise and as more and more penguins came ashore, the air filled with the sound of penguins chatting. Some penguins kept on the edge of the circles of light cast from the lighting, scurrying to get past the humans. Other penguins were far more curious, walking right up to the ropes that corralled people. Their feathers are gunmetal blue. And so dense! I have no idea what they feel like, but they look like a steel coat, they are so dense.

When the penguin parade trickled, I wandered back up to the van. A lot of people didn't stick around through the cold. Apparently the Little Penguins didn't get the memo about walkways being for people. With fewer people around, the penguins wandered where ever they wanted, often crossing over the wooden walkway. If a guide was around, they would stop people until the penguin decided which way he was going to go. But other times, it was just a few people and a penguin, hanging out.

I'm so glad I decided to do the tour, it was truly unforgettable!

And, in other news, the random number generator (my friend with a hat full of paper) picked: 5. So Bubblesknits, send me your info at bigblueice(at)yahoo(dot)com. Hopefully this week, I'll get a post up to tell you where your new yarn came from.

November 21, 2010

I understand that some folks are having trouble leaving comments (so sad as I love reading your thoughts). If this is you, just send me an email at bigblueice(at)yahoo(dot)com. I doubt, given the upcoming holiday and my normal state of disorganization, that I will get Typepad to fix this before Wednesday.

Kind of at the last moment, I had the brilliant (obvious) idea, to suggest a get together with all the ladies that had helped me with my Melbourne yarn crawl. Happily, the ladies were up to a "special" Friday night meet-up at Kojo Brown.

SnB Melbourne meets in the suburb/neighborhood of Richmond in Melbourne.

So, I jumped on a tram and off I went.

the U.S. could learn a lot from the Melbourne public transport - timely and inexpensive

Can I just say wow? Okay, first we have Kojo Brown. A bar with enough lighting to knit! Swoon. And greek-inspired cuisine, including the rare lamb salad I had. Yum.

the bar at Kojo Brown

I thought that a few women might show up, a la my own (nearly defunct) knitting group. I showed up a little before 6:30 and pulled out my knitting. I think it's the universal invitation for knitters to join you.

I became so engrossed in conversation, that unfortunately I didn't start taking pictures until after a few ladies left. Thank you ladies for indulging me whilst I was snap-happy.

But, at the height, I counted 11 knitters. Awesome. A lot of the girls were knitting with Jitterbug. I've admired it occasionally, but never purchased. But wow, the parade of colors I saw that night has me coveting some of it.

I brought my knitting, but not surprisingly, spent more time talking than knitting.

With the help of Padma and Pommiechick's cheat sheet (all will link to ravelry pages), here are

On my way to the meet up, I had to hop on/off the same tram line. When I was first on, I actually saw Pransell. Well, her sweater first. And I thought, "I wonder if she is going to the meet up? Did she knit that sweater."

November 18, 2010

So, in the magic world that exists in my mind, this was going to be three posts. So, how about you pull up a chair and pretend with me?

As I indicated, I spent some time in Australia. First stop was Melbourne, the first time I've been there. After our 16 hour flight from LA to Melbourne and an overall 25.5 hour journey (but who's counting), Beeyore and I landed. After a much needed shower, Beeyore and I set out for the town. First top was a fun little walk from the hotel to city center through Fitzroy Gardens.

I have two regrets from my time in Melbourne. The first was not getting to see Captain Cook's cottage in the Gardens.

Since I haven't been to Melbourne, I got on Ravelry and found the lovely ladies of SnB Melbourne. I asked where a yarn tourist like me ought to go. The awesomeness that is Ravelry and the connections with knitters worldwide deserves a post of it own. Suffice it to say, the ladies of Melbourne were wonderful yarn guides.

First stop was the Handweavers' and Spinner's Guild of Victoria. For those unfamiliar with Australia, large areas are divided into states and territories. Victoria is a large state in the southern area - a center for wool production and wine (Yarra valley, my vino friends).

A few hiccups later on the tram had me at the unassuming door of the Guild, located on Shakespeare Street.

But inside... true contentment. I spent over an hour talking to the many lovely ladies that were there that day. Basically, the Guild seeks to bring weaver's and spinners together and provide a place to teach and socialise. Classes are taught on a variety of topics, materials are available for sale and a store showcases the artistry of its members.

Not only were the ladies lovely, but the atmosphere was great for anyone that loves fiber. I was definitely in the minority, not being a spinner. I enjoyed learning about the history of the Guild and the stories of the individual women I met. I'm sorry to say, I didn't write down the names of the lovely ladies I spoke to while I was there. I thought I'd surely remember and I'm very sorry I didn't. If you read this, thank you.

Check out their website, their "15 minutes of fame" section is a gas and makes me a bit nostalgic for the Greatest Generation.

The spinners store - roving and dyes, oh my!

And the yarn store... yarn spun by members as well as some finished pieces were for sale.

The yarn in the store has been raised (grown?), sheared, and spun in Victoria

A class in session the day I was there

I was struck by the older-than-average age of the attendees. Fiber arts is a diminishing art in Australia for many reasons. The first time I visited, I was disappointed to discover that most yarn is sent to China for processing because it's cheaper. I had an older lady tell me in Nundle that, "[she] used to knit but it's just too expensive now." That is infinitely sad to me, when you consider the rich tradition of Australian wool.

Hanging above the door, a map of Australia, from (I believe) felted wool

As I understand it, this wall hanging includes the ranch symbols from every member of the Guild.It is constructed entirely of wool.

I know you're all wondering what I got...

In my defense, it's not filled... but it is the only bag that they had that everything would fit in... I thought about buying less and then thought, "this is hand spun in Australia. You will never see this yarn again, anywhere. Stop being a dumbass and buy it." And that is a quote.

silk/merino roving - a gift for a friend. I'd be a liar if I said I haven't thought about keeping this

I don't like purple, but this immediately evoked ideas of flowers in a garden

Everything was listed in grams, which is meaningless to me, a non-spinner. Most of the yarn consisted of single skeins. This is the only yarn I bought that I think is enough to make a scarf. I just liked the bits of color.

I chose a close-up of this yarn because I hope that you can appreciate the blues and greens. And because I've seen some bad spinning (says the girl that has hit herself in the head with a drop spindle), I was impressed with the consistency of the spin.

Also destined as a gift, for a friend who loves pink

This was the first skein I decided to buy. It's a baby hat. I'll find the baby later.

After the Guild, I set out for other yarny spots. I got lost. Without a map. I asked a tram driver if I could get from here to there on his tram. He said no; I got off the tram. He opened the door, told me to get on, and gave me the path to get un-lost. A well-pierced guy on the next bus also helped. I've heard people say that Australians are stand-offish. I suffer from no illusions that they have no losers, but nearly everyone I met was lovely.

Next stop, Lara Downs. The owner raises all her animals - sheep, alpaca, angora, yak, cashmere, silk. And sells her fiber in a rented upstairs space in a fabric store.

Her sister, Nancy was in the store the day I stopped by. While I was very tempted by the $86 skein of cashmere/merino/yak - gasp! soft! - in the end I "nearly" walked away.

In an as-yet-unblogged event, I've learned to drop spindle. In the end, I decided to buy roving for a yarn I'd never pay for in the U.S. - 100% cashmere roving. Who knows when - or if - I'll ever be able to spin this. Keep you fingers crossed, my spinning friends.

Now we go to the only negative Melbourne experience. It was suggested that I go to Beautiful Silks. I won't give you a link, because I don't think they deserve one. When I arrived at their (always locked) door, I rang the bell. A guy let me in, then disappeared. They had lovely silk and some hand-dyed yarn, though the labeling was inconsistent - grams, but no price; price, but no grams/meterage.

While I looked around in vain for someone to talk to, I took pictures for this blog. THEN someone showed up. A man that claimed to be an owner (and a lawyer, as he quite enjoyed mentioning... numerous times). He rudely asked if i was taking pictures. I said yes, and explained it was to document my yarn tour of Melbourne. He condescendingly told me about international treaties regarding pictures. I offered to delete the pictures, which he wanted me to do. I did so and reached down to put my camera in my bag. When I stood up, he was gone. Apparently, he could only bother to show up to be rude, but not to help a customer. I tried to look around, but the interaction left a bad taste in my mouth. I left, never seeing another person. I briefly considered leaving the door open, since I had a hard time closing it. In the end, I chose to be a better person.

I am told the true owner (a woman) is quite wonderful. And the range of their silk was impressive. But I won't go back. In my yarn tourism of Melbourne, this is a miss. And I don't need pictures to tell people what I thought of the people that were working that day.

In my final stop, I went to the only wool store that is a chain store. I'd been in the Morris and Sons in Sydney. As last year, I was drawn to the same colorway. But it is spun in China, as is all their namebrand yarn. I basically justified this purchase by saying I can't get it in the U.S. But it's an oppression offset, and one I'm not happy to admit to, since I don't need yarn.

Despite my best efforts, this image will not save in a rotated format. And it's late, so I give up.Morris & Sons, 4-ply, colorway: Plummage

As you might imagine, after four stores, shops were closing. My last day in Melbourne, I had a choice. My second regret is that I didn't get to SunSpun. They stock EVERY COLOR of Collinette. And at a cheaper price than in the U.S. I really wanted to get here, especially since the Melbourne crowd so highly endorsed it. But, I chose, and I chose this:

that's me, feeding a kangaroo

But that story will have to wait. And, as the clock approaches midnight, so will the rest of my Melbourne adventure.

I must skip ahead a little bit in the story. Because, you see, today is an important day. As no doubt none of you are aware - because I had to look it up myself - today (November 17th) is my one year blogiversary. I knew when I went to Australia that this day was approaching.

I wanted to mark this day in both normal and different ways. Giveway - normal, check. Something different and special (at least, if you're in the U.S., like me) - hmmm.

Later in my trip, I found the answer. I saw this yarn and thought, colorwork. Which, given I've never completed a colorwork pattern, is a bit ironic.

A standard, soft cream, 100% merino yarn, DK weight. Heirloom is a smaller, but well-established Australian company. I think they offer more heathers and rustic colors than Cleckheaton or Patons. This yarn is grown (raised?) and spun in Australia.

I tried to capture the colors, a navy blue and grey heather. A knitterly, spinnerly, awesome-y friend was in town last week and she felt this yarn. She said, "Oh, soft!" Trust her.

So, leave a comment, and next Wednesday, I'll randomly pick someone to receive both skeins. I'm thinking these two skeins will make some lovely colorwork, but hey, it will be yours, so it doesn't matter what I think.

I really didn't know where this would go when I started blogging. And I really don't know where it's heading. But I cherish the friends I've have made. I appreciate your encouragement and postive thoughts on my projects and whatever else I blog about. I'm glad for the people and blogs I've discovered - for your inspiration and the beauty of your work and the thoughtfulness of the words you share. Thank you for a wonderful first year.

November 11, 2010

Ummm, yeah, so sorry for dropping off the blog radar screen. In my defense, I left for two weeks in Australia the day after the marathon and returned with a charming little cold that kept me out of a work for an additional three days when I got back. Much to Partner's delight, I still have a nagging cough that likes to make an appearance when we should be sleeping.

And thank you very, very much for all your congratulatory comments about the marathon. Sorry for being a schmuck and not replying to everyone.

I had full intentions to post when I was in Australia... took a USB drive and even preloaded the pictures for this post in typepad. But it didn't happen. However, let's move on to what is happening, mainly, this post now. Oh, except, before we begin, I should say that you ought to come back in a day or two for something big... I believe that is the correct knit blog parlance for - I'm going to have a giveaway. Just sayin'.

Several months ago, a guy moved in to the house next door with five (yes, I said male and five) cats. He pretty much lets them free-range through the neighborhood. Beckerman has become OBSESSED with these cats. To the point of sitting at a hole in the back fence and watching for one of these cats for 2-3 hours without moving. If he had thumbs, he'd Kinnear them. It's a little weird, and a lot disheartening.

So, in the way that people (and by people, I mean Partner and I) are apt to personify their pets, we arrived at the obvious solution that Beckerman was lonely. To backtrack a little, Beckerman was a seven-week-old stray that Boy #1 picked up from the street at around 10:00 pm to my cries of, "No!!!! He probably has fleas!!!!"

Which, for the record, he did. And worms. If it was up to my (occasionally) rational and organized brain, we'd never have got a cat because the house wasn't "cat-proofed," et cetera.

Anyway, back to the current story. I may have thought Beckerman was lonely, but we clearly weren't ready for a second cat. However, we'd found out there was an animal shelter down the street and had looked at the kittens a few times. On Partner's birthday, I came home early from work with the idea we'd go look at the kittens because it always makes him happy, and hey, it was his birthday. When I walked in the door, he told me he'd been to the shelter and adopted a kitten. We'll just skip my shocked disbelief and worry, for the purposes of this post.

We couldn't bring her home right away because she needed to be fixed (which is a California law that I understand the good intention of, but I find really really REALLY wrong to fix kittens at 6-8 weeks -- and that is a very poorly-constructed aside, but I'm going to stop trying to fix it). We didn't care for her shelter name. One day Partner was talking about her and just said, "Sasha..."

Beckerman meets his new sister, Sasha:

I wish I had video. Beckerman hissed at her in the cage. When we opened the cat carrier and she tried to sniff him (because, she was raised with other kittens and that is what cats do), he ran away and hid on the top of the washer. Yes, our 13 pound cat hid from the two pound kitten that had just had surgery.

Sasha's first night at home. Food!

Explorin'!!! Look Mom, no cage!

Things did not go well between her and Beckerman. I'd worried about this and my fears were realized. They fought. She usurped Beckerman from the bed, where he has slept since he was a very sick kitten. Beckerman has never (as far as we can tell, aside from critical nursing) been around other cats and didn't understand butt-sniffing, play biting or any thing else. He actually doesn't meow like a normal kitten and we think it's because he never had a model to teach him.

A little late, we read that you shouldn't introduce new cats when one has had surgery because they smell weird. And that you shouldn't put their food next to each other. In fact, after a few days, we regrouped and exiled girl kitten to one room, only letting her out when Beckerman was outside. The idea being to slowly introduce a new cat smell to a house.

Partner had done a lot of research and (a bit of) thinking before getting Sasha. He'd read that it was better to get a kitten that was smaller (not too hard), the opposite sex, and of a similar temperment. Beckerman has become pretty reserved and Sasha was very timid at the shelter.

That didn't last. She doesn't like to stay still. Partner says she has two modes - sleep and play.

Sit still!

That's better, now everyone can see how cute you are. She's a grey tabby, but she has small bits of fur that are light brown. One of her brother's was actually a brown tabby, with no grey at all. She has nearly perfect circles on either flank (you can see it, kind of, in the running shot above).

These days, Beckerman's quiet moments are few and far between:

But things are getting better... it's happening more frequently, but this is one of the first bed truces.

He still looks a bit wary, if you ask me.

But, they do play vigorous games of chase and while I was in Australia, they actually starting grooming each other. In fact, one night in my sickness induced state, I woke up and watched Beckerman get up and groom Sasha while she was sleeping. Melt.

She and her brother share the same love of soccer.

Particularly trying to catch the little men:

Oh, and I may have been a bit apprehensive of getting another kitten, but how can you resist this much cuteness?

Have you noticed? She really likes to snuggle.

And she's her mama's girl. Now I'm not the only one in the house that dreams of string.

Though I think what we do with the string might be different. We're working on that. You know, so I can knit again.

Her naughty habit of biting the yarn and needles (as well as laundry baskets, hangers, fingers, double-sided "keep-you-cats-from-scratching-snort-snort-as if-laughing-all-the-way-the-bank" tape, and her brother) as well as other kitten behaviors (climbing into the refrigerator, attacking her brother while he is sleeping, knocking over all my jewelry) has earned her a middle name.